


Just Saying

by SyrupLime



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Harley Ned MJ and Betty are in a band, I Am Sorry, M/M, Song fic, based off of just saying by 5sos, but not that sorry, i’ll probably right a sequel so, only a bit though, peter is in a toxic relationship, pining harley, there is no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21967273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyrupLime/pseuds/SyrupLime
Summary: Harley Keener is Peter Parker’s best friend, which means he has to pick him up every time his boyfriend treats him like shit.Which is exceptionally hard when he’s in love with him.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Harley Keener, Peter Parker/Harry Osborn
Comments: 17
Kudos: 198





	Just Saying

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Parkner secret Santa on tumblr. 
> 
> Hopefully, I will be writing two more works in this universe, but this fic does not really have a happy ending.

Harley ran a hand though his hair as he paced around. This was it, there’d be no going back now. 

“Hey,” the manager of the club called. “You guys ready?”

Harley looked around to the rest of his band before nodding. “Let’s go.”

There was a roar as the band walked out on stage. The club was filled with people walking on air and they didn’t seem to care who came on stage. Harley hoped that meant they wouldn’t notice him pouring his heart out at a night club. 

He walked up to the mic, strapping on his guitar as the others went to their own instruments. He looked back at his friends and they nodded, shooting him reassuring looks. Finally, he took a breath and turned back to the mic. He introduced them before gearing up to start playing. 

“You gotta boyfriend, and he’s a total loser, all your friends say that he’s got no future, but they like me. Just saying.”

***

“He treats you like trash, Pete,” Ned argued as Peter rooted around in his locker. He looked like death and Harley knew that it was Harry’s fault. It was always Harry’s fault. 

“He’s trash,” MJ added. “Feeds off Daddy’s money and ready to burn his, and by association your, life to the ground.”

“He’s going to hurt you, man,” Ned said softly. “He already is.”

Peter stilled, just staring into his locker before shaking his head roughly and slamming it shut. He turned on his friends, a dull fire in his eyes, as if he wasn’t even sure he should put up the fight anymore. 

“He’s my boyfriend, guys, and I love him,” Peter said, tired determination in his voice at the repeated argument. “He may not be perfect but no one is.”

“Harley is,” MJ mumbled, low enough that only Harley could really make out the words. Peter shot her a confused look and Harley figured this was the time for him to step in. 

“We know, Pete,” he eased. “But you should have someone who’s perfect for you. And we’re all pretty sure that’s not Harry.”

Peter looked lost in thought, worrying at his bottom lip like he was actually listening to them. The hope in Harley’s heart bloomed but then the bell rang and Pete shook his head again. 

“He’s my boyfriend,” he repeated before heading off down to his first class. Harley looked back at his friends helplessly and they all sighed. 

“We should get to class.”

***

“He barely takes you out, and if he does he’s late. And when the check comes, he always makes you pay. I would never do that. Just saying,” Harley sang into the microphone, the crowd getting into the song. 

***

“What do you think?” A voice called, breaking Harley out of his work-induced trance. 

“Huh?” He muttered as he looked up, freezing at what stood before him. 

Peter was dressed in dark wash jeans and a dark red button up shirt. His hair was brushed and his shoes had a slight raise to them. He looked amazing. Especially when he giggled at Harley’s ineloquent grunt. 

“My outfit?” He clarified, his eyes filled with humor with a slight tinge of concern at Harley’s current state. 

Harley swallowed roughly, trying to get the words out around the lump in his throat. 

“You look amazing,” he said and nearly melted when Peter blushed, glancing down at his shoes and biting his lip. “Uh, what’s the occasion?”

“Harry’s taking me out,” Peter said carelessly hopping down into Harley’s workspace. Harley rolled his eyes. 

“Who’s paying?” He asked, already knowing it wasn’t going to be Harry. Peter’s blush deepened. “He isn’t ‘taking you out’ if you’re paying.”

Peter shrugged, trying to hide how uncomfortable he was. “I like paying, it’s not like I can’t do it.”

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t have to, it’s not like Osborn’s struggling to make ends meet,” Harley argued as he kept fiddling with the thing in his hands. He wasn’t trying to start an argument—he was just angry—but he knew that this line of conversation only had one conclusion.

“He’s my boyfriend, Harley,” the other boy urged almost desperately. 

“He doesn’t have to be,” he nearly whispered but he knew Peter heard him by the way his body sagged and he sighed. 

The brown-eyed boy looked back up at him and Harley could feel his heart breaking even before he spoke.

“Yeah, but I want him to be,” he insisted. They were locked in each other’s gaze before Harley pulled out. He was a coward like that sometimes. He turned back to his project, clearing his throat. 

“You should probably go. Don’t wanna be late.”

It was quiet for a minute, as if Peter didn’t know what to do. But they both knew what his choice was going to be. Harley didn’t look up as the steps retreated from the room.

It wasn’t until a few hours later when Peter texted him asking if they could meet up that Harley got up from his bench. He collected his keys, phone, and wallet before asking FRIDAY to tell Tony where he was going. It didn’t take him long to find the ice cream place Peter had texted him from. 

The boy sat there sullenly, more playing with his ice cream then eating it. He didn’t look up as Harley slid into the booth across from him. They were both quiet for a while, Harley not sure how to go forward after their conversation earlier. 

“We had a fight,” Peter finally said, sounding more broken than usual. If Harley hadn’t wanted to go find Harry Osborn and beat him to a pulp before, he sure did now. 

“What happened?” He asked instead. 

Peter shrugged but it wasn’t an answer so Harley waited for him to collect his thoughts. After a minute, he got up and ordered his own ice cream before coming back, figuring he should give him a minute. When he got back, Peter sighed. 

“The bill came, he wanted me to pay it, I asked why, he was confused, I told him the things you said and he seemed to know they were coming from you,” he rushed out in one breath. “He got angry and stormed out so I guess I did pay in the end.”

The fact that the last part came with a half-hearted chuckle that barely covered a sob only reinforced in Harley’s mind that Harry Osborn deserved a slow and painful death. He switched over to the other side of the table and Peter crumbled into him, sobbing into his shoulder. He rubbed the sobbing boy’s back trying to soothe him. When the sobs turned to sniffles, Harley whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Peter shook his head vehemently but didn’t move away from Harley. “You have nothing to apologize for, I’m sorry I’ve had to dump my relationship problems on you.”

“Hey,” Harley began, pulling Peter far enough away from him so that he could see his face. “You are never a problem to me okay?”

He didn’t seem convinced but eventually nodded and Harley nodded back. “Good. Now let’s get home before Tony sends some empty armor to get us.”

Peter laughed as they slid to get out of the booth. He reached for his wallet but Harley was already leaving money on the table, giving him a look when he tried to protest. Eventually he relented and sighed. They made their way out of the shop and back home. 

***

“You should leave him cause it really makes me sick, just saying, just saying,” Harley sang loudly, pushing every emotion into the words as if Peter was actually there to hear him. “You don’t need him, I’ll help you get over it, just saying, just saying.” 

His friends played along with him as if they too were in complete agreement that Harry Osborne was horrible for Peter Parker. Which they were. 

***

“He hurts him over and over and OVER again,” Harley ranted as he paced around the room, Ned and Betty nodding along as MJ flipped through her phone. 

Tony has given them a level in the tower when they said they wanted to start a band, making sure to securely soundproof it and buy every employee a couple dozen pairs of earplugs. Which was fair in the beginning but was starting to get insulting. Ned and MJ had been trying to get by as a drum/bass duo with no luck. Betty had come along with guitar and keyboard and it had only need Harley to round it out with his own guitar and voice. 

They had been about to start rehearsal when Harley had stormed in and started ranting about Harry, Peter, and Harry and Peter.

“And he leaves ME to pick up the pieces,” he continued, waving his hands around like a mad man. “Which I wouldn’t mind doing if it didn’t hurt so much seeing him like that. He doesn’t deserve it!”

Harley huffed heavily as he fell back against the wall. The band had been the audience of many of these outbursts (and had a few of their own). They all hated Harry but they couldn’t seem to get Peter to see that. MJ has suggested that Harry had something on Peter one time and Peter had practically torn her head off, barely accepting her claim that it was joke, which was really only barely true. 

“If I have to hear him say he loves him in between sobs one more time...” Harley trailed off, looking up at the ceiling as if it would have the answers to his dilemma. 

Betty hummed before speaking up. “Maybe you should tell him that.”

“What?” Harley asked. He must have not heard her right. He couldn’t confess his feelings to Peter. 

“Yeah dude!” Ned continued. “Write him a song, that’s what you’re good at.”

Harley mulled the idea over in his head. A song huh? A song...

***

“When you change your mind, I’ll be waiting, cause I’m better than him, just saying,” Harley gasped for breath. “When you change your mind I’ll be waiting.”

“Just saying,” his band mates and a few people in the crowd chorused. 

Harley grinned as he really settled into the song, letting the lyrics and their meaning wash over him. 

“Got a big house, says he lives alone, but when I drove by, I saw his mom was home, I got my own place,” Harley’s heart hurt as he sung the next part. “He says he loves you, but it’s all an act. He’s seeing someone else behind your back, you know I’d never do that. Just saying.”

***

Harley tried to relax in his seat. He had gone up north to the compound and instead of flying back he had chosen to drive his new car. Like an idiot. His butt was sore and he was tired off being cooped up. He felt relieved when he reached the outer residential area of New York. The rich side anyway.

He pulled onto a street that was vaguely familiar and he realized why when he saw two people exiting a house and heading for a particular yellow car in the drive way. He recognized them as he drew closer, though he would know that car anywhere. 

Harry Osborn and Flash Thompson were leaning against Flash’s car, obviously dressed to go out. And if that wasn’t evidence enough, the kiss Harry gave Flash said it all. 

Harley couldn’t decide between speeding away or jumping out and punching the guy when a petite woman ran out of the house, calling to the boys. Harry looked exasperated in the only way a child to their parent could be and Flash looked a little annoyed but was obviously used to it. Harley hates that he was used to Harry’s parents’ antics when he knew Peter hadn’t even met them. 

Harley gripped the steering wheel tight before peeling away from the house. He had to tell Peter, right? His boyfriend was cheating on him for God’s sake!

But Harley couldn’t help thinking that if he did tell, it would be more for himself than Peter. These thoughts continued to plague him as he drove the rest of the way to his apartment. 

It was small and dirty and nearly falling apart but Harley had gotten the place all on his own. He hadn’t wanted to stay in the tower longer than he had to, he was eighteen! He could have his own apartment. 

He collapsed onto his bed, still battling with his thoughts. He looked over and saw the unfinished sheet music he had been writing for Peter. He argued with himself for a minute before finding a pencil and starting to write. 

***

Harley sung the chorus again before the instruments took over. He tried to push as much emotion into his playing as he did his singing and he must have been doing a good job since the crowd was loving it. As the instruments faded to the back again, Harley’s voice rose up to meet the crowd’s. 

“You should leave him cause he really makes me sick,” he sang, being met with a roar of “Just saying, just saying”.

“When you change your mind I’ll be waiting, I’ll help you get over it.”

“Just saying! Just saying!”

The crowd screamed as they played the last notes of the song. The band huffed, trying to catch their breathes from their second live performance. Harley leaned against the mic and grinned. His problems were nowhere near solved, but his song was still pretty good. 

And maybe he’d sing it to it’s actual recipient one day. Hopefully.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr at peter-x-harley-cat


End file.
